Supreme Court Affirms Life Sentence in Brutal 2023 Columbus Murder
COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Indiana Supreme Court has unanimously affirmed the murder conviction and life-without-parole sentence of Anthony Wayne Carter for the brutal 2023 killing of his girlfriend, Ashley Neville.
The decision, handed down on February 4, 2026, marks a final legal victory for the state after Carter attempted to appeal his conviction, arguing that his actions were an attempt to “end the suffering” of the victim rather than a premeditated murder involving torture.
According to court documents, the killing occurred in the early hours of April 16, 2023, at Neville’s home in Columbus. Following an argument, Carter entered Neville’s bedroom with a loaded handgun, telling her, “It’s time to tell the truth,” before shooting her in the head.
When Neville survived the initial gunshot, Carter’s violence escalated. Evidence showed he attempted to strangle her with his hands for thirty seconds. When she still did not succumb, Carter placed a plastic grocery bag over her head, secured it with multiple strips of duct tape, and held his hand over her mouth to cut off her airflow.
Medical examiners determined Neville’s cause of death was a combination of the gunshot wound and asphyxiation. They noted that Neville was “likely breathing” after the shot and potentially could have survived with immediate medical attention.
On appeal, Carter’s defense team argued that the trial court erred by refusing to give the jury an instruction on “reckless homicide.” They contended that if the jury believed the gunshot—which Carter claimed was accidental—was the primary cause of death, he should not have been convicted of murder.
However, Justice Molter, writing for the unanimous Supreme Court, rejected this logic. The Court ruled that because Carter admitted to intentionally suffocating Neville to “hasten” her death after the shot, his intent to kill was legally indisputable.
“A defendant who kills an already mortally wounded victim cannot escape culpability by arguing that the victim was going to die anyway,” Justice Molter wrote.
The Court also upheld the jury’s finding of “torture,” a statutory requirement for a life-without-parole sentence in Indiana. While the defense argued there was no evidence of prolonged pain, the Court pointed to Carter’s own description of Neville “gasping and gagging” as he methodically duct-taped the bag to her face.
The trial judge described the duct tape as a “tightly drawn, methodically placed device” that resembled a mummy.
State Leaders React
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita praised the work of his appeals team, specifically Chief Counsel Angela Sanchez and Supervising Deputy Attorney General Sierra Murray, for ensuring the conviction stood.
“Here we have a real piece of work who not only shot his girlfriend, but then tortured her afterwards,” Attorney General Rokita said following the ruling. “I’m grateful that the court has listened to my appeals team… he’s not going to get out of jail during his lifetime. That’s a great result for the state of Indiana.”
Carter remains incarcerated, serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole.
